residentevilfanonfandomcom-20200222-history
T-Virus (Milsap)
The t-Virus (or Tyrant Virus) is the parent name given to a multitude of Progenitor Virus strains used in the development of Bio-Organic Weapons or B.O.Ws. Developed in the 1960s by Umbrella Pharmaceuticals, the goal of the project was to eliminate the need for a large-scale conventional (read: Human) army and replace them with mutated, stronger, 100% obedient super-soldiers based off animals or select cloned human subjects. What initially started as a way for Umbrella founder Oswell E. Spencer to help usher in his 'new world' of genetically superior humans as part of an extreme Nazi ideology, quickly became a massive threat to the human race as a whole. History The t-Virus' development started in 1966, with Dr Oswell E. Spencer and his colleagues Edward Ashford and James Marcus starting a eugenics project with carefully engineered viruses improving the human race. To fund the eugenics project, they decided to engineer the virus as a military product that could be sold and make money, leading Spencer to start Umbrella Pharmaceuticals as a front for the weapons research. The original virus, dubbed 'Progenitor' was discovered in Africa and the three doctors worked on the virus simultaneously and all three created their own similar strains. In 1978, Marcus reached a breakthrough after ten straight years of research. While Progenitor simply killed the infected as originally intended by Spencer, Marcus had found his new strain, which involved the Progenitor virus being fused with leech RNA, caused victims to become aggressive, undergo considerable necrosis and developed cannibalistic impulses. By this time, Marcus had become obsessed with his research, began to distrust Spencer and in turn named the virus after his own nickname for the Umbrella founder: Tyrant. In 1978, child genius William Birkin and Albert Wesker, the latter being part of Spencer's eugenics programme, joined Marcus' team. Marcus continued to work on his strain of the virus at the Umbrella Reseach Centre in the Arklay Mountains while Spencer's team worked in the secret labs under his nearby mansion. Both teams later used t-Virus to identify their own strains to distance it from Progenitor. In late 1978, Birkin became interested in Ebola and noted that Ebola would kill victims too quickly in war for it to be used as an effective weapon, so instead fused the RNA of the Ebola virus with the original Progenitor virus which created the same effects in human infection that Marcus' t-Virus but with the added benefit of causing additional mutation in the right circumstances. It was also later discovered in 1980 that approximately 10% of the US population (approx. 22.6million people) would be immune to the effects, so the Arklay team bonded Birkin's strain of the t-Virus with a human egg and reptilian DNA to produce the Hunte, which would then be used to kill any survivors. With the combination of inter-species DNA rather easy to do, the Hunter was easily mass produced. At some point over the next few years, one of the 'zombies' infected with Birkin's virus was found to have an evolution of the 'B' strain in its body. This was later codenamed V-ACT and was what led to the formation of the so-called 'Crimson Heads' in the Arklay Mansion encountered by Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Barry Burton, Rebecca Chambers and Richard Aiken. Infection Effects of Infection Like any other virus such as HIV, Ebola, Influenza and Polio, the t-Virus makes contact with a cell's membrane and inserts its genetic coding into the cell. The cell absorbs the viral genome as its own and uses regular cell mitosis to produce virions similar to the original. The new virions are then released from the host cell and infect neighbouring cells which start the process all over again at an accelerated rate. The usual outcome for any human infected by the virus is to turn into a zombie. Higher brain functions are destroyed over a period from anywhere from a couple of hours to three days, as shown when the virus reached Raccoon City and from diaries found by S.T.A.R.S in Spencer's mansion. Other symptoms, as explained above, include necrosis and constant hunger, leading victims to chase down living humans and animals to feed. But while 'zombie' is the common term for the infected, the t-virus cannot actually reanimate dead cells and tissue. The infected lose their brain functions besides the base need for eating and walking, have necrosis and seem to have no pulse or breathing and are often confused with the walking dead. In some strains of the virus, the infected can enter the V-ACT process. Zombies that have not been shot through the head or been cremated enter a dormant state where they appear to be dead but are instead mutating. Crimson Heads develop razor-sharp claws, sharp teeth and their hearts restart at a rapid rate causing severe haemorrhaging that results in their red colour. Further mutation of this process, believed to be when a Crimson Head is in turn not put down properly, is the 'Licker' that was found in the Raccoon City Police Department when the virus reached the city in the September of 1998. Means of Infection Files found in the Arklay Mountains suggest that the virus has a protein structure and can spread in three main forms: Injection: Considered to be Umbrella's primary means of infection given it was used to create bio-weapons, this was injecting the virus directly into a human or animal to begin mutation. Water: The Arklay Dam and Raccoon Sewage Works were contaminated, leaking into the water supply and infecting some civilians, although the chances of infection with contaminated water are eradicated if the water is boiled. Direct Fluidic Transmission: Anyone bitten, scratched etc by an infected individual can be infected by the virus due to bodily fluids coming into contact with infected saliva or blood, similar to Hepatitis and HIV. The risk is high, although infection is not guaranteed. Differences in Mutation Wesker's own cocky bragging and files found in the Arklay labs indicate that Umbrella was immensely proud of its achievements. Wesker later noted that the host's mindset has an influence as to how a mutation manifests itself. James Marcus' mutation was that of an old man desperately seeking his youth again, Sergei Vladimir became a monster whose very body was the picture of suffering, John McKay became a behemoth hell-bent on revenge while Sergeant Cartwright maintained some of his human personality despite his grotesque mutations- Saving several B.S.A.A troops in Willow Springs due to all him wanting was his son. Differences in Infection The order in which the symptoms of infection manifest themselves is dependent on the individual. Victims can show necrosis before aggression and vice versa. The scientist that played poker with Scott and friends in the Arklay Mansion underwent necrosis before getting aggressive and losing his brain functions, as did Lisa Trevor. Emma Kendo, daughter of Raccoon City Gun Shop owner Robert, began to lose her brain functions before she underwent the beginning of necrosis while Lieutenant Marvin Branagh of the Raccoon City Police department did not undergo any necrosis at all, having turned into a zombie while passed out in the R.P.D's main hall. Strains Alpha (t-Marcus) Alpha was James Marcus' initial breakthrough with the virus after combining the original Progenitor with the RNA of a queen leech to have the virus contain genes that were coded for nerve regeneration and metabolic processes that allow hosts to remain alive even in a clinically dead state. Marcus was assassinated under orders of Spencer in 1988 and the virus in the queen leech ended up in Marcus' body. Marcus then released the virus into the Umbrella Training Facility and infected the Ecliptic Express with the Alpha Strain in 1998 Beta James Marcus' original Alpha strain with Birkin's modifications. In 1981 Birkin incorporated two immuno-suppressant genes from the Ebola virus to ensure the virus killed its victims while still allowing for the mutagenic properties. By killing the victims, Umbrella could then add computer controllers and programmes to the B.O.Ws to allow them full control. T-Strain The first variant of the t-Virus adapted from Birkin's strain and research on Lisa Trevor that allowed the creation of the first 'Tyrant' B.O.W. V-ACT Strain Basic version of the t-Virus extracted from the original 'Crimson Head'. The strain of the virus that got loose in the Arklay Mansion. T-Birkin The final mass-produced version of the t-Virus and improvement of the V-ACT strain that produced the lickers in the Raccoon City Police Department building. The strain that leaked into Raccoon City, Michigan and Atlanta Airport US-666 US Government engineered version of the virus that contained several modifications to the T-Birkin virus. The virus stopped replicating after 72 hours inside a host. However, if the host became a zombie and bit an uninfected individual, the virus could start replicating again in the new host. Treatment Cures Due to the unstable nature of RNA viruses, the antibodies that were available to Umbrella staff did not offer permanent protection. The staff at the Incineration Disposal Plant were turned into zombies when the virus mutated enough to render the antibodies useless. The consumption of certain herbs grown in the Arklay Mountains and regular anti-viral pills can slow the t-Virus mitosis. A vaccine was developed at Raccoon General Hospital. With infected patients flooding the wards Umbrella staff from the B.O.W side of the company raced to the hospital to help the staff and Public Umbrella (who most likely had no idea it was t-Virus) develop a vaccine. They were successful but all the staff and patients were dead before the vaccine could be used. The only known sample was taken by Carlos Oliviera and administered to Jill Valentine who had been infected by the Nemesis T-Type Daylight was engineered by Dr Greg Mueller and Dr Peter Jenkins at Raccoon City University. It was successfully taken out of the city by two other doctors and later given to B.S.A.A soldiers and anyone in later infected areas such as Willow Springs and Atlanta Airport, due to the sheer costs of a publicly available vaccine. Prevention * Boiling drinking water prior to consumption. The t-Virus cannot function above 90 degrees Celsius. * Avoiding densely populated areas, such as downtown Raccoon City. * Remain indoors, such as hotels which have heavy fire doors that can only be opened from the inside * Remain quiet to not attract zombies. * Wear some form of ankle and neck protection. Civilian Use In 1999, the US Government took a sample of the virus and began engineering the virus to help save lives as opposed to destroying them. They engineered the virus into a less potent form to be used to help speed up the healing process in soldiers seriously injured on the front lines. In 2001, a new drug called Genex was administered to six soldiers. Five of them died as the result of a brain aneurysm while the sixth, US Army Sergeant Brian MacFarlane survived with his recovery reduced to a few months as opposed to years if not ever. The new version of the virus sped up the healing of broken bones and also reduced any scarring on his body. The main side effect of this drug was that Brian recovered from injuries much faster than anyone else. A cut to his finger healed overnight, a gunshot slowed him down for 24hrs and he built up antibodies to the virus allowing him to be scratched or bitten by a zombie with no chance of becoming one and thus becoming immune. As a result of how the virus can be transmitted, he unknowingly passed it on to his wife Rebecca Chambers through kissing and unprotected sexual intercourse and in turn, the antibodies were passed on to his two children when they were born, allowing the pair to survive the Atlanta Airport attack and allowing their children to survive Willow Springs. Research on this strain was still in progress as late as 2030